Wendelin Van Draanen

Life Actually Tour with Lurlene McDaniel, Dana Reinhardt and Wendeline Van Draanen

Friday, May 24, 7:30 p.m.

The Year of Luminous Love by Lurlene McDaniel

The Things a Brother Knows by Dana ReinhardtThe Running Dream by Wendeline Van Draanen

Realistic fiction at it's best!

The Year of Luminous Love: In the vein of Eat, Pray, Love, but for teens, this inspirational novel is set against the backdrop of Tennessee horse country as well as the historic cities of Italy and the Italian countryside. The story unfolds as three teenage girls, recently graduated from high school, plan the next phase of their lives while dealing with immediate life issues.

The Things a Brother Knows: Levi's older brother Boaz returns from fighting with the Marines in the Middle East. He's safe. Levi's family has waited three long years for this. But Boaz is no longer the brother Levi thought he knew.

The Running Dream: Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run? Winner of the 2012 Schneider Family Book Award.

Location: Street: 1010 El Camino Real City: Menlo Park, Province: California Postal Code: 94025-4349 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)

Wendelin Van Draanen (Confessions of a Serial Kisser, Flipped, Runaway, Sammy Keyes and the Night of Skulls, Sammy Keyes and the Wedding Crasher, Sammy Keyes and the art of deception, Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash, Sammy Keyes and the curse of Moustache Mary, Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway, Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy, Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief, Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen, Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf, Sammy Keyes and the Search for Snake Eyes, Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy)

Books have always been a part of Wendelin Van Draanen’s life. Her mother taught her to read at an early age, and she has fond memories of story time with her father, when she and her brothers would cuddle up around him and listen to him read stories. Growing up, Van Draanen was a tomboy who loved to be outside chasing down adventure. She did not decide that she wanted to be an author until she was an adult. When she tried her hand at writing a screenplay about a family tragedy, she found the process quite cathartic and from that experience, turned to writing novels for adults. She soon stumbled upon the joys of writing for children. Feedback from her readers is Van Draanen’s greatest reward for writing. “One girl came up to me and told me I changed her life. It doesn't get any better than that,” she said. Van Draanen hopes to leave her readers with a sense that they have the ability to steer their own destiny—that individuality is a strength, and that where there's a will, there's most certainly a way. Her first book was published in 1997, and since then her titles have won many awards. Now in its sixteenth installment, the Sammy Keyes Mysteries have been nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Children’s Mystery five times, with Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief bringing home the statue. Additionally, she has won the Christopher medal for Shredderman: Secret Identity, the California Young Reader Medal for Flipped, and the Schneider Family Book Award for The Running Dream. Her books have been translated into many foreign languages, Shredderman became a Nickelodeon made-for-TV movie, and Flipped was released as a feature film, directed by Rob Reiner. She lives in California with her husband and two sons. Her hobbies include the “Three R’s”: Reading, Running and Rock ’n’ Roll. Fun Facts Born January 6 in Chicago, IL Previous Jobs Forklift driver, coach (sports), musician, high school math and computer science teacher Inspiration for writing The past, the future, and the struggle for a happy ending! Favorites . . . food: sushi . . . clothes to wear: Sneakers, shorts, and sweatshirts . . . colors: Emerald green with a splash of midnight blue (added from Random House)… (more)